Profession Circus owner
Germany
25 june 1913 - 14 october 1998
The circus is coming to town! A familiar childhood memory was seeing the large tents being put up and the air was filled with the noticeable smell of animals. Of course there are many debates about the ethics of circuses and animal treatment but, the joy they bring to children and memories they crystalise are priceless.
The circus was a common place for misfits and illegals to hide, Adolf knew this and helped to hide the four of them during the war, each stop they made, the Gestapo came to inspect them and with the famous slight of hand of magicians and their three ring acts and of course a bottle of alchol they kept the four of them safe.
Adolf and Maria had two children Franz and Helene who later took the reins of the business unfortunately circus tricks seemed to lose favour with the crowds. Franz turned to a horse show which also failed and the circus went bankrupt after nine generations.
In 1995 Adolf and his wife Maria Althoff were given the medal of “Righteous Among the Nations” by Yad Vashem, Adolf’s memoriable words on received the reward were;
“We circus people see no difference between races or religions.”
Adolf is buried in the cemetry of Stolberg-Breinig. And recently the city named a streen in his honour.
https://www.yadvashem.org/righteous/stories/althoff.html
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolf_Althoff
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Althoff_(Zirkus)